Yet Another Update

So, I haven't written a real blog post in awhile. There's no good reason; I suppose I've been waiting to have something to say. Strange, but it seems that the craziness of life in Lesotho has finally become the norm – I feel like I'm just living my life. Is that good or bad?

A brief, and I'll warn you, pretty boring re-cap of what I've been up to.

As I reported in an earlier post, the PEPFAR project I'm working on with my fellow PCV Ashley (the HIV/AIDS and Health Day event at her clinic) was approved for funding. Last Monday we had a workshop in Maseru to go over reporting procedures, and I was VERY pleased to learn the PEPFAR committee was so impressed by our application that they asked to use it as the sample grant given out to applicants. I was pretty proud of us for that one – it's nice to receive some recognition of a job well done.

The project has encountered a hick-up, though. We anticipated the grant funds would arrive in March giving us a little over a month to set-up everything by May. Well, the money is, as of today, not here and we now expect it to arrive mid-to-late April. As a result our event is getting moved back to September. I was looking forward to getting it done before going home and am frustrated it didn't work out, but the more I think about it, this might be for the best. It gives me something to come back for, something to throw myself into, hopefully lessening the pain of return from the States.

Plans also continue for the handicraft fair (where area HIV/AIDS support groups will be able to display and sell crafts they make) to be held at the end of April. I'm a little nervous about how this is going to work out as plans seem to be taking a long time, and a lot of pushing and effort on the part myself, Lena and Ashley, to get done. But I guess I should be used to that my now.
The hospital library is still moving along. We should receive the books from the States in May and already received a donation of medical books and Sesotho-language books from two different organizations in South Africa. The old hospital administrator, an amazing woman who really supported the project, was transferred to Quthing in January. I'm working with my library counterpart, Vikile, who will function as the librarian and 'M'e Mosele, the site manager at PSI Mafeteng, to get the new administrator up to speed before things really get going next month.

Last week I also did a bit of traveling in Lesotho. Seeing fellow PCVs at their sites really provides a new perspective on people. I have to admit, I love seeing everyone's unique system of organizing the maze of bucket-living! :)

After attending the PEPFAR workshop in Maseru, I journeyed to TY (a camptown just north of Maseru) to visit Andre, one of my fellow CHED '08 PCVs. It was really great to catch up with him, check out his site and see how he lives his life here. The next morning he took me to visit the weaving group he's working with and I ordered a weaving to bring home. It's not often you can order something like that, one-of-a-kind, handmade, specifically for you!

After TY it was on to Leribe, farther to the north. There I stayed with Trish, another PCV from my group who is also working with PSI. As an additional project she's been working with Help Lesotho, a Canadian NGO in her area. I was able to attend one of their youth HIV/AIDS clubs and learn more about the projects the are working on. We were also able to meet up with the Canadians at the hotel for dinner and drinks. Tara, another PCV from my training group who lives just across the field from Trish, had us over for dinner as well. It was great to see her – a two-for-one visit! I promise, we did do some work too. Trish and I drafted curriculum for the first in a series of mini-workshops we're presenting to PSI staff, hopefully in May.

I guess that about wraps it up for now! Until next time, salang hantle!